Asylum Pyre serve up an excellent album of Melodic / Symphonic Metal.
Formed in France in 2006 ‘Fifty Years Later’ represents Asylum Pyre’s second full length album following on from their debut ‘Natural Instinct’.
Sitting very comfortably in the Melodic Symphonic camp the band have produced a thoroughly engaging collection of foot tapping, sing a long and bounce a long Metal tracks with a sufficient degree of variance and originality to make sure the listener stays from start to finish.
Featuring Chaos Heidi on vocals the band have a real gem of a female vocalist in their ranks, able to belt out some excellent operatic passages on tracks such as ’The Herd’ balanced with some beautiful angelic and soft, soulful pieces as demonstrated on ’Will You Believe Me?’
The sound in places leans towards bands such as Lunatica but has a definite edge and gives a real feeling of a band that is progressive and forward thinking as on the wonderful ’Any Hypothesis’, a track that I could listen to again and again ( and I have been). The band can also rock it out at a fast pace as well mind, ’Just Before The Silence’ is a rev it up, pedal to the metal classic that should please the head banging brigade.
‘Fifty Years…’ isn’t just another female fronted metal album as we have plenty of male vocal thrown in as well, from clean to growl, which really adds another dimension to the bands performance and song writing capabilities, ’Fisherman’s Day’ being a good example. The title track and album closer is over seven minutes worth of melodic metal mixed with balladic segments that sums the album as a whole up rather well in my opinion, however my personal favourite would have to be the superb ’The Frozen Will’ which once again demonstrates the strength and depth of Chaos Heidi’s voice.
On the basis of this album you would have to say that Asylum Pyre are a band well worth checking out, full of talent and potential that hopefully will see them break through to the bigger stages of the female fronted metal world.
Rating 8.5/10.
Track Listing;
1. Will You Believe Me?
2. Dead In Copenhagen.
3. The Frozen Will.
4. These Trees.
5. The Herd.
6. Fisherman’s Day.
7. Against The Sand.
8. Any Hypothesis.
9. Just Before The Silence.
10. Fifty Years Later.
Chaos Heidi. – Vocals.
Johann Cadot. – Guitars and Vocals.
Julien Peuch. – Bass Guitar.
Tony Decaillon. – Keyboards.
Herve Schiltz. – Guitars.
Vince Kreyder. – Drums.
Out now via Massacre Records.
http://www.massacre-records.com/
http://www.facebook.com/asylumpyre?ref=ts&fref=ts
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ww0F2GXrWc&w=420&h=315]